Every woman faces menopause, but it needn’t be the nightmarish experience you may have heard about. The highly respected team of specialists at Comprehensive Women’s OB/GYN provides education and symptom relief for women entering and moving through menopause. Check out their positive approach to this natural part of the female experience by scheduling an appointment today. You can call the office or request your consultation online.
Most individuals use the term “menopause” to describe a several-year process during which your ovaries stop producing eggs, and your estrogen levels taper off. Technically, however, menopause means a “pause in menstruation” and signals the end of those monthly periods that you probably aren’t going to miss.
The time leading up to the cessation of your periods is probably better described as premenopausal (meaning before menopause) or perimenopausal (meaning around the time of menopause). Declining estrogen levels, decreased egg production, and other changes associated with menopause begin long before your periods stop.
Initially, you may notice changes in the regularity of your periods. They may become more frequent, less frequent, heavier, or lighter until they stop completely. You’re truly at menopause when, with no other causes, you haven’t had a period for 12 months.
As your estrogen levels continue to drop and hormonal balances shift during perimenopause, you may experience:
It’s important to note that not every woman going through menopause experiences significant symptoms. And some of the symptoms blamed on menopause may relate to other issues such as a thyroid disorder, changes in life circumstances (empty nest versus return of college-aged children to the nest), or the aging process.
See your Comprehensive Women’s OB/GYN specialist as soon as you experience any symptoms or whenever you’d like more information about what to expect during perimenopause and after menopause.
There are many effective treatments available for reducing and even eliminating the symptoms associated with menopause. Your provider may, for instance, prescribe hormone replacement therapy with bioidentical hormones or suggest diagnostic studies to determine whether another condition is causing or adding to your menopausal distress.
For a compassionate but positive approach to the changes associated with menopause, schedule a visit at Comprehensive Women’s OB/GYN today. Call one of the offices or use the online scheduling tool to book your appointment.
